A Bride, not a Denomination

Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Revelation 19.7-9 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

When Jesus Christ returns the second time, without sin unto salvation, He is coming for a bride, not a denomination. That should not be hard to understand, for Christ redeems sinners, not denominations, and no one denomination has all the saved people on planet earth. Jesus’ prayer in John 17 should convince any and all Christians of the fact the the bride of Christ consists of every born again, regenerated sinner. Why am I passing this along as a devotional this morning? To gently admonish you to not fall into the devil’s trap so seeking to “convert” the already converted. In the past few years that has been a resurgence of the Arminian-Calvinist controversy. It has been the cause of judgmental attitudes and bad feelings between God’s people.

While there is plenty of room, and much need for iron to sharpen iron, there is no room at all to be divisive and contentious. You see, the problem with replacing Jesus with doctrinal pet peeves is that you tend to reject people, and not only their doctrinal persuasions. And how do we know this to be true? Denominations! Denominations, like particular human body parts, are fine. It’s when the eye of the body thinks it is the only part that is “right on”. (And proud of it, I may add!). Being denominational, not denominations, is a problem. Jesus only has one bride, and bride is not one part. Jesus does not have a Calvinist bride and an Arminian bride. He has one blood-bought bride that consists of sinners who have been saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, period. No side can franchise the gospel. The church is not a chain of restaurants like Burger King or McDonald’s. You are either a sheep or a goat. A saint or an ain’t.

This divisive issue is as old as I am of Cephas, I am of Apollos and I am of Paul. It was carnal then, and it is carnal now. This debate will not be settled this side of heaven, but instead of trying to convert the converted, why don’t we lift up the non-denominational Name of Jesus, and declare with one heart and one voice that Jesus Christ is LORD! Romans 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, [even] to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Rise up oh bride of Christ, and bear the fruit of your marriage unto Him.